A Lesson in Travel
by Sailor Elf
Summary: MummyPresidio Med. With help from the Spire, Rick and Alex are flung years into the future, landing in the middle of San Fransisco where they meet up with a certain surgeon who looks awfully familiar...
1. Onto The Ruins

Disclaimer-Noone from The Mummy or Presidio Med belongs to me. Not Ardeth, not Nick. (WAH!!) Any original characters are all mine. Among them are Sarah, Patrick and Catlanda. (And can't forget that Spire along with Isis and Geb).  
  
Summary-With help from the Spire, Rick and Alex are flung years into the future, landing in the middle of San Fransisco where they meet up with a certain surgeon who looks awfully familiar...  
  
******  
  
A Lesson in Travel  
  
Rick, Evie and Alex were riding on camels towards the mountains. They were tired and wished for anyone to come.  
  
"Why aren't they here yet?" whined Alex.  
  
"Maybe they haven't seen us yet. I think they'd be here if they did," replied Evie. "We're almost there Alex."  
  
Rick watched the two. He felt as tired as they did but he almost didn't want to admit it.  
  
"I think this is the first time we haven't encountered them when we came out here. Usually, they meet up with us by now," he said to noone in particular.  
  
"We can only wonder Rick," Evie told him.  
  
They continued on with their journey until they came across a lone figure on a horse. They were carrying nothing and the face was hidden behind a cloth. They noticed the black hair was long.  
  
"Who are you?" Evie called out in Arabic.  
  
The figure didn't reply. Instead, whoever this person was turned the horse and ran in the opposite direction. The O'Connells were baffled by this action.  
  
"I've never seen someone do that before," Alex told his parents.  
  
"I want to know who this person is. It can't be Catlanda, that's for sure. This person doesn't have the Spire nor is Isis nearby and the horse looks nothing like Geb. But it had to be. I mean, who else could it be?" Evie curiously said, putting her hand up to her chin.  
  
"Then let's go after her and find what the problem is," suggested Rick.  
  
The three hurried after the horse. It soon disappeared around the mountain. the O'Connells slowed down.  
  
"You two stay here. I'll go check this out. If it's safe, I'll come and get you. If it's not, you'll know," Rick told Alex and Evie.  
  
"Alright Dad," Alex replied, watching his father head towards the mountain.  
  
Rick slowly turned the corner and glanced from side to side. The next thing he realized, his face was being licked as a weight pounced on top of him. He soon fell to the ground.  
  
"Isis, get off me!" he cried as he pushed the cat off.  
  
He looked at the sand and saw there were several pillows that broke his fall.  
  
"Someone's been expecting us," he said with a smile.  
  
"Of course. You should know me by now. I like to allow Isis to make the grand entrance," came a familiar voice.  
  
He looked up to see Catlanda standing next to him, holding out her hand. Behind her, was Ardeth.  
  
"Nice to see you again old friend," Ardeth told him.  
  
"Nice to see you too. Just one question: who was that in the desert just now? Was it you Catty?" he asked as Evie and Alex came around the mountainside.  
  
"That was me, not her actually. You might have had the idea that it was Catlanda but it wasn't," Ardeth admitted as Rick climbed to his feet.  
  
"All I have to say is some entrance," Rick said.  
  
"Come, let us go to the tribe. We better get back for we might be needed there," Ardeth suggested as he climbed on his horse.  
  
***  
  
The O'Connells, Ardeth, Catlanda and the animals walked past the tents and were led to one of their own.  
  
"You don't mind us coming Ardeth?" wondered Evie.  
  
"No, we don't. Of course not. Though I might not be able to spend as much time with you as I wish. The leaders of neighbouring tribes have also come at this time and I need to meet with them. So my time with you will be short but Catlanda can help you with anything you need. She is, after all, my daughter and if it's temples you're looking for, she can help you. She knows this land very well and I hope you will do as they ask," Ardeth told them.  
  
Catlanda looked at him before vigourously nodding her head.  
  
"Of course," she replied.  
  
"Now if you will excuse me. I have some things to attend to," he told them.  
  
He left the four and Rick turned towards Catlanda.  
  
"Catty, why does that cat have to jump up on me every time she sees me?" he asked her.  
  
"I'm not exactly cetain myself but I figure it's her way of saying she likes you," she replied.  
  
She giggled as Rick rolled his eyes.  
  
***  
  
Later in the day, as Ardeth was meeting with the other tribe leaders, Catlanda took the three out to a nearby temple, by Evie's request.  
  
"So Catlanda, whatever happened to those other two pieces of the jewel get put?" wondered Evie.  
  
"They were found secure areas to place them in. We still keep an eye over them almost daily to make sure they have not been discovered again," replied Catlanda as they walked into the temple.  
  
Alex looked up at the ceiling.  
  
"This is so amazing!" he cried.  
  
"Isn't it? When I first saw this place, I was about your age Alex," Catlanda told him as they walked past some rocks.  
  
Evie was absolutely amazed at her surroundings.  
  
"This place is amazing! I wonder what artifacts could be hidden in here?" she gasped.  
  
Rick smiled.  
  
"I can see you're still in your interest in Egypt is still there," he said.  
  
"Of course it is Rick. I don't think there was ever a time where I wasn't interested in Egypt," she replied.  
  
She started to look around the place with the three watching her.  
  
"So what's exactly in here?" wondered Alex.  
  
"Not sure. I know where the places are and I've been to them several times over the years. I've never had the chance to fully look around all of them," she replied as she sat down.  
  
She laid the Spire on the ground next to her as he continued to watch the Englishwomen search the temple.  
  
"Evelyn, just be careful over by that wall. The stones are becoming loose," Catlanda told her as she stood up and walked over to her.  
  
"I'll be careful. I always am," Evie told her.  
  
"Not by what I heard. If I'm not mistaken, when I was five, you read the Book of the Dead and when I was 13, you found the Bracelet of Anubis and both times which the Creature was resurrected," CAtlanda replied.  
  
Evie sighed at the facts as Isis rubbed against her legs and purred. She stared at the entrance to see a figure standing at the door.  
  
"Ardeth, what are you doing here?" she said, as she stroked the cat's head.  
  
"We finished earlier than we anticipated so I decided to join you here. Have you found anything yet?" he explained as he walked up to them.  
  
"Not yet. We just started," replied Evie.  
  
All of a sudden, a rumbling could be heard. The five looked to see the ceiling was shaking.  
  
"Let's get out of here! It's falling apart!" cried Ardeth.  
  
The five started to run out of the temple. Rick stopped and realized the Spire was still on the floor. He ran back for it.  
  
"Dad!" Alex cried out to him as the young child joined him.  
  
"Alex, what are you doing here? Get out!" demanded Rick.  
  
"I'm not leaving you!" replied Alex.  
  
They both were surprised as the Spire began to glow as they started off again.  
  
***  
  
Ardeth followed the two women as chunks of rock began to crash down around him. One hit his calf leg and he fell to the ground. Catlanda turned and hurried back to him.  
  
"Get out of here! Save yourself!" he told her as Evie also came back.  
  
"Not after we've been through," Evie told him as the two helped him to his feet.  
  
They hurried out of the entrance as the building began to crash down. They looked back at the falling building.  
  
"Rick, Alex, no," sobbed Evie.  
  
Out of nowhere, a bright light appeared just before the ruins completely collapsed. The three watched it dim and disappear into nothing.  
  
TBC... 


	2. A Strange New World

"Rick! Alex!" cried Evie as she ran back towards the temple.  
  
"Evelyn, wait!" Catlanda yelled at her as Ardeth leaned on her.  
  
The Englishwoman ignored her, keeping her sights on the falling temple. Catlanda slowly aided Ardeth after her.  
  
Once they reached the temple, Evie had already started to move the rocks away in the attempts to locate her husband and son.  
  
"They can't possibly be gone! They can't be!" she was saying over and over again as she moved the rocks.  
  
Ardeth put a hand on Evie's shoulder. She turned around and looked at the two, tears falling from her eyes.  
  
"We might have to face facts that they're gone Evelyn," he told her.  
  
Evelyn couldn't stop crying at the thought as she put her arms around Ardeth, giving him a hug. Ardeth hugged her back, letting go of Catlanda, who headed towards the fallen temple. She closed her eyes.  
  
"Spire, where are you?" she asked herself.  
  
Her eyes snapped open and she twirled around to look at the two.  
  
"They're not dead," she told them as she started to move quickly. "Come here Geb."  
  
The horse hurried over to them as did Isis. Both Ardeth and Evie were confused as he was helped onto the horse.  
  
"Catlanda, what is this all about? They are obviously dead and the Spire is buried with them," Ardeth asked her.  
  
Evie nodded in agreement, the tears still flowing down her face.  
  
"Dad, I've never known you to doubt my judgment and I give you right as of now. The Spire is buried underneath the remains of the temple. But where is it under all that?" Catlanda posed him.  
  
Evelyn and Ardeth looked at each other in confusion.  
  
"I thought you could feel the presence of the Spire?" wondered Evie.  
  
"Like I said, where is it?" Catlanda repeated a she started to lead the horse away from the temple.  
  
***  
  
Alex and Rick dizzyingly spun around in circles until they both hit solid ground. Neither one knew what was going on for a few seconds when their senses returned to them.  
  
Rick looked around and narrowed his eyes. He rubbed his head as he glanced around at the green everywhere and tall metal buildings. People were milling about them covered with garb on them that was strange to them.  
  
"I must be dreaming this," he muttered.  
  
"Dad, where are we?" came Alex's voice.  
  
Rick turned around to see his son standing behind him.  
  
"Now I know I'mdreaming. I have no idea Alex," he replied as he glanced to see what he was holding.  
  
He sighed when he saw the Spire.  
  
"Great! Just great! Catty's going to be so angry with me when I get back," he said to himself.  
  
"Um, Dad, just how are we going to get back?" wondered Alex.  
  
"Good point. I don't know the answer to that either," replied Rick as he began to move.  
  
Alex followed him. They were awed by the structures surrounding them, and well, pretty much everything else. They were staring in awe at a large building until a nearby pedestrian stopped by them.  
  
"My God I can't believe you're not feeling that! We've got to get you to a hospital!" she cried. "Here, let me take you there."  
  
She pulled Rick and Alex towards the direction of the hospital, which turned out to be not very far away.  
  
Jules ran out to them.  
  
"What's wrong?" she asked the woman.  
  
"These two look like they're been run over by something. Think you can do anything for them?" the woman replied.  
  
Jules looked over them as Harriet hurried up to them.  
  
"I believe we can. Thank you ma'am for bringing them into us," Harriet told her.  
  
The woman nodded before leaving the hospital. The two doctors took the father and son further into the building.  
  
"I'm glad she brought you two into us. Mister, that head injury you have appears nasty," Harriet told Rick. "We'd better get that bandeged up."  
  
"Really? I never noticed it," he absently said.  
  
"Concussion you think?" asked Harriet.  
  
"Probably. Come on. I'll look the kid over when we find someone to get him checked out," Jules said to her.  
  
Harriet nodded as she and Jules led Rick and Alex down the hallway.  
  
"Listen, he'll be alright. He's just to get checked to see how badly injured he is," Jules explained to him.  
  
Alex nodded as he and he father followed the strange women.  
  
"What's going to happen to us?" he soon asked.  
  
Jules was surprised by the statement.  
  
"Why, nothing. We're just making sure you're alright. If you are, you can go. You don't have to worry about a thing," Jules replied as Sarah headed towards them.  
  
"Hey Jules, Harriet how're you two doing?" asked Sarah.  
  
"Good. Just taking someone new here to get checked out, that's all," replied Jules.  
  
Sarah bent down to face Alex as Rick gazed at her.  
  
"She'll take good care of you, believe me," Sarah whispered to him.  
  
"That's right Sarah, butter your way up to me," laughed Jules.  
  
"What? All Nick had to do was look at me and he instantly liked me," Sarah replied with a laugh as she stood up and started to walk down the hall.  
  
Alex also couldn't help but look at her as she did so. Her father also watched her go.  
  
"She looks a bit like Catlanda," he quietly told his father.  
  
"At least the eyes do and so does the hair," agreed Rick as they continued down the hallway.  
  
***  
  
The two led Rick and Alex into an office and sat them down. He leaned on his arm as she looked at him in the eyes.  
  
"First, I need to know your name," Harriet told him.  
  
"Rick. Rick O'Connell. This is my son, Alex. Where are we?" he asked her.  
  
"That's not a good sign. You're both in San Fransisco," Harriet replied as she pulled out a light and put it into his eyes.  
  
"San Fransisco? As in San Fransisco, California in the United States?" he cried. 'Now I know I must be dreaming.'  
  
"You're acting as if you're really surprised at this. Maybe it is a concussion," Harriet mused sounding worried.  
  
Rick's eyes stared at her. He looked at Alex, who was just as surprised.  
  
"When is it?" he reluctantly asked her.  
  
Harriet and Jules were really worried now as they looked at each other. Jules looked back at them  
  
"It's 2003," Jules cautiously replied.  
  
Rick stood up and started to curse. He looked at the Spire in his hand.  
  
"It did this. It must have been this," he said quietly as he pointed at it.  
  
"It has to be Dad. There's no other explanation," Alex agreed. "Somehow, it did."  
  
Harriet was slightly confused as she looked at the Spire.  
  
'Must be some thing powerful,' she thought.  
  
She soon stood up and walked over to him.  
  
"Maybe we should find you a room to stay in for the night so you can rest," Harriet suggested as she started to lead him out of the room.  
  
She pretty much had to drag him out as he still stared at the Spire as Alex and Jules followed behind them.  
  
***  
  
Nick and Rae were walking past the nurse's station when one woman saw them.  
  
"Hey Nick, come here for a moment," called one of the nurses, waving them over.  
  
Yes, what is it?" wondered Nick.  
  
"Sarah was looking for you. Said it was semi-important and I thought you should know about it," the nurse replied with a smile.  
  
"Uh oh. Did she tell you what it was?" he wondered.  
  
"She did mention something about Jackie and that she's in a good mood today so she wanted to warn you about her joking," the nurse told him, her eyes looking the other way.  
  
Nick put on a face that read 'I'm not surprised' all over.  
  
"Thanks for the warning. I'll be sure to steer clear of her today," he replied as he started to walk away with Rae.  
  
"Does she do that a lot Nick?" wondered Rae.  
  
"Sometimes she does. When she gets a chance to," Nick told her.  
  
***  
  
Harriet was leading Rick towards the nurse's station when Rick finally looked up at the people milling about. His stare came to the a man who who reminded him of someone. He wasn't facing Rick but he still appeared to be familiar to him.  
  
"Ardeth?" came the name. "How'd you get here?"  
  
"Ardeth's here?" wondered Alex as he looked around.  
  
His stare also came to the man. Rick broke from Harriet's grasp and headed for the man.  
  
"No, wait!" she cried as she hurried after him.  
  
Rick's heart rose as he ran up to the man and turned him around to face him.  
  
"Ardeth!" he said as Alex's eyes lit up in excitement.  
  
TBC... 


	3. Some Questions and Answers

Thank you for all the reviews! They make me happy! (Vigoroursly clapping my hands!)

00000

Nick turned around and stared at the man.

"Is there anything I can help you with?" he asked Rick.

Rick looked dumbfounded as he stared at the man before him as did Alex.

"I could have sworn it was Ardeth," Rick said. "He looks so much like Ardeth, even without the hair and different clothes."

"So did I," agreed Alex.

"Rick, I think it's the head injury talking. Maybe you should see a counselor," suggested Harriet.

"No, wait Harriet. Who's this Ardeth you were talking about?" asked Nick as Sarah walked up behind him.

"Ardeth Bay. He looks exactly like you but he's got longer hair and tattoos," Alex piped up.

"Alex, what're you doing?" Rick said through gritted teeth.

The four were a bit surprised. Rick glared at Sarah.

"And you. You, you, you. I wish you were actually here so I could demand you to take us back," Rick told her as she pointed a finger at her.

"What? What did I do?" asked a confused Sarah.

"Come on. We'd better discuss in another room," Rae told them as she walked away.

The seven walked into an unoccupied room nearby.

Rae walked between the father and son. Nick couldn't wait for her and stood before them.

"Who are you really and where did you come from?" asked Nick.

"My name is Rick O'Connell. This is my son Alex. We have a friend named Ardeth Bay and he has a daughter, Catlanda. Ardeth looks almost exactly like this Nick here and Catlanda looks somewhat like Sarah. That's why we confused you for them," explained Rick.

"That still doesn't explain why you were wondering about the place and date," Jules said.

"We came here all of a sudden. From late 1930's. We were in Egypt at the time," Alex told them.

The five gasped as they looked at each in awe.

"Late 1930's Egypt? How do you expect us to believe that?" wondered Sarah.

"Our clothes maybe? Our confusion with the place and time? What about this thing? Or what about our confusion with Nick here with somone else that lived halfway across the world?" Rick asked as he lifted up the Spire.

"We come from the year 1937," Alex said.

Rae walked back and forth , wondering what to think about it.

"So what do you think about this?' she asked her friends.

They looked at each other and shook their heads.

"We can't do much. I mean, it shows I have a twin in the world," Nick replied.

"Someone who's probably been dead for years. One way or another, I believe them," Jules said, stepping forward.

Sarah nodded her head as did Nick and Harriet. They all looked over at Rae, who also nodded.

"Alright. They're people who traveled here from 1937 Egypt because of a magical stick," she sighed. "Now where are they going to stay? They can't stay here."

"They can stay with us," Sarah said before anybody else could say anything.

"Sure, go right ahead and say yes without consulting me first!" Nick told her.

Sarah shrugged her shoulders as the others laughed.

"What'd I do?" she asked with a laugh.

00000

"What do you mean by that? Where is it? I mean it has to be there! Where else could it be?" wondered Evie as they hurried across the desert.

"I mean it's not in this time anymore. I put it down. If Isis or Geb had gotten it, everything would be alright but Rick had grabbed it before any of us could," Catlanda cryptically explained.

Evie looked at Ardeth with a confused look.

"What does she mean by that?" she wondered.

"The Spire can do many things. One is time travel. If the holder of the Spire puts it down and then is in a crisis and someone else besides anyone the holder or anyone else near it, meaning Isis and Geb, it'll have to do something drastic to save itself and the holder," explained Ardeth.

"How do you know that?" wondered Evie, narrowing her eyes.

"Who do you think told me about it after she found out?" replied Ardeth as he continued on while Evie stopped.

Evie stayed there as the two walked further. Ardeth stopped the horse and looked at Evie.

"Aren't you coming?" he asked her.

"First tell me where we're going," she asked as she started the camel up again.

"The Temple of Isis. Only there can we find the way to bring them back after we find out what time they've gone to. They could be anyplace, anytime," Catlanda called from up ahead.

"The Temple of Isis? I've never heard of it," Evie said.

"That's because its existence is not written anywhere but the Spire and we were led to it soon after Catlanda had possession of it," Ardeth told her.

"How will we find it?" Evie said.

"You don't think I know the location? Let's go and get them back," Catlanda told her curiously.

00000

Rick and Alex were amazed with everything as they were whisked by everything in the car. They were surprised to see the wonders of 2003.

Soon, they arrived in the house. The four climbed out of the car and up to the building.

"How things have changed. Things definatrly weren't like this where I come from," Rick said.

"This is where'll you be staying until you can find your way back home again. You'll meet my son, Patrick inside," Nick said as he turned the doorknob and walked inside.

Patrick greeeted them and was confused by the company with them.

"Who're they?" he asked.

"Now that is an intersting story Pat. Come and we'll explain it to you," Nick told him.

Rick stared at Patrick in amazement.

"I simply don't believe it. He looks slightly like Marok! I'm being reminded of everyone here," he said to himself.

Patrick was told the story of the two. He stared at them, surprised.

"I simply don't believe it," he said. "These guys actually thought you were their friend from a their time. If anyone ever got word of these two, don't you think they'll be sought after?"

"As far as we know, there's noone that really knows about them but that's not saying anyone doesn't," Nick replied.

All of a sudden, the sound of angry voices rang out through the streets. The five ran to the window to see several men standing outside the house.

"Give it to us! We know you have it in there! Give it up!" came one voice.

"What would we have that they would want?" wondered Rick.

"I think it's that Dad," Alex told him, pointing to the object still in his hand.

They looked at the Spire. He sighed.

"Great! Never!" he cried out to them just before bullets started to fly through the window.

Alex ducked as did everyone else as the glass broke. Soon, Patrick and Sarah rose to their feet as Rick and Alex did as well.

"Everyone alright?" asked Rick.

Alex nodded as they looked around the place. Sarah saw Nick kneeling by the window, a hand up to his shoulder.

"Dad, what's wrong?" she wondered, sounding a bit worried as she knelt by him.

He slightly turned his head and she gasped. She saw a piece of glass sticking out of his shoulder and the blood starting to flow down onto his chest.

TBC...


	4. Bad Case of 'I'm Alright'

I'm not sure why but I have this thing with shoulders and injuries. I just do. Shrugs shoulders. If you've read my PM stories, you'll understand why I say this and may have noticed it if you have. Imhotep's Lover, you're so welcome.

00000

"We have to stop the bleeding Patrick. It's kind of bad," she said as Patrick ran over to them.

"Go get something to stop it with while I stay here," Patrick ordered her as he helped Nick lean up against the couch.

"I'll be fine. It's nothing," he told him quietly.

"Yeah, right. You've gotten run over, shot and beaten up before and this is nothing to you? You're a doctor. You should know you need some help when you need it," Patrick replied, not believing what he was hearing.

Rick hurried over to him.

"Anything I can do to help?" he asked.

"Not at the moment but I will have to take him to the hospital. I'll let you know when you can help," Patrick replied as he started to pull the shirt away from the wound.

He cringed at it before Sarah ran back with some towels. She handed a couple to Patrick and he placed them around the piece of glass, over the wound.

"Pat, don't worry about it," Nick told him.

"'Don't worry about it'? You've got to be kidding me. If you think this is alright, I'm not sure about you," Patrick said to him.

Nick started to protest but thought against it as he allowed Patrick to tend to the wound. Rick and Alex gazed out the window to see the large number of men outside had decreased to one. He stood there, waving his gun in the air.

"We will get it, sooner or later. We saw you walk into the hospital with it and we now know where you are. You have been warned," he yelled at them.

"Well, one way or another, you're not getting it! I'm not intending to let anyone touch it but me!" Rick yelled back at him.

"Have it your way," came the response.

The man ran away as Alex looked at his father.

"Even people in this time want the Spire. It's crazy," he said.

"I know. It must be some sort of conspiracy going on. People from different times and even different places in the world want it," Rick agreed.

Patrick was now to the door, Nick standing beside him.

"Sarah, I'm taking Nick to the hospital now. Go see if you can get some clothes for those two then meet us there," Patrick told her.

She nodded before she led Rick and Alex to the bedroom and Patrick took Nick out to the car. She looked through the closet before pulling out a t-shirt and jeans.

"You're about Dad's size, I believe these will fit you," Sarah told Rick as she handed him the clothes.

He took them as she walked out of the room and into the next one.

"I believe there's some old clothes of Patrick's in here that might fit you Alex. If there isn't, there might be some of my older clothes still around that don't look too feminine," she said as he and Alex walked into the room after her.

"Listen Sarah, I have to ask you something," Rick told her.

"Yeah, what?' she replied, not looking up from what she was doing.

"I'm trying to sound rude here, don't get me wrong but how come your father has an accent and you two don't?" he wondered.

Alex's eyes immediately lit up and he nodded in agreement. Sarah stopped what she was doing and looked up at them.

"That's because he's not our real father. He adopted us a several months ago after our real parents went to prison. Now if you will please excuse me," Sarah explained to them before she went back to her search.

Patrick drove to the hospital. He hurried out of the car and ran to the other side as Nick started to climb out. They walked into the lobby and a nurse ran up to them.

"Come on, we have to get him some help here," she called.

They took Nick and led him away.

00000

The three rode up to a mountainside in the middle of nowhere. Evie stared up at it, in a mild state of disblief.

"This is it? The Temple of Isis? Doesn't look like much to me," she told them doubtingly.

"Wait a minute and you'll see," Ardeth told her.

Catlanda raised her right hand and spoke out in Arabic. A rumbling started beneath the horses and a door appeared within the stone wall.

"There, my friend, is the Temple of Isis. This is where we will find the answer to how we can get Rick and Alex back," Catlanda said as she led her horse towards it.

The two followed her inside where Catlanda and Evie climbed off the horses. Ardeth climbed off the horse. The moment he put his one leg on the ground, pain shot right through him and he gasped as he fell to his knees. The two looked at him with worry.

"Dad, what's wrong?" asked Catlanda.

"It's my leg, nothing more. The pain will pass," he lied as he laid against a nearby rock.

"Of course it will. In about a few days. I forgot your leg had been hurt during the collapse. Here, let me help you," Catlanda replied as she walked over to him and knelt beside him.

She moved the ripped cloth on his leg and gaped at the large and deep cut staring back at her. She looked at him in dismay.

"Why didn't you say anything sooner Dad?" she demanded.

"It's fine, believe me," he told her.

"Fine my foot. It's bleeding heavily and it's deep. I'm surprised I didn't notice it earlier," Catlanda said as she ripped a piece off of her own robe.

She wrapped it around his leg as he patiently waited for her to finish.

"There we go. Not let's go find the inscription," Catlanda said once she as finished and stood up.

"What inscription?" wondered Evie.

"The inscription that will bring Rick and Alex back here. All we have to do is find it," replied Catlanda as she looked at her.

Isis stood by Ardeth as did Geb. They were helping walk after them.

"Find it? What do you mean find it? I can't be too hard to find. You must know where it is," Evie told her.

"Of course I do where to find it. I forgot exactly where," replied the raven haired woman as they walked into a large room.

Evie gasped in awe as her gaze went from wall to wall. They were full of ancient writings.

"This is amazing! And you know what it all says?" asked Evie.

"Most of it I've already translated. Some sections of wall, I've memorized because I use the abilities so often. Now this way Evelyn. The section dealing with time travel is over this way," Catlanda explained.

Evie continued to gaze at the walls as she followed her until they came to a section of wall.

"It is on this wall. I know it is here because I've already gone over these walls at least three times each. I know where everything is located, I just don't know all inscriptions yet," Catlanda said.

"Then let's start looking for it," Evie told her. "Though I believe it might take a while to find it without the Spire."

Ardeth watched from afar, his leg starting to hurt even more. He rubbed it as Isis looked at him and whimpered.

"Don't worry about me Isis. I'll be fine," he told her with a smile as he rubbed her chin.

Isis stared at him and saw his face spoke otherwise.

TBC...


	5. Dangerous and Scary Situations

Matt, Letty and Jackie walked into the room and up the bed Nick was situated in, Patrick sitting in teh chair beside him. He looked over at theem with a small smile.  
  
"So how're you feeling Nick?" wondered Jackie.  
  
"I'll be fine Jackie. Just leave me alone, please. For one day," he pleaded.  
  
"Tell us, what exactly happened?" Letty told him, ignoring Jackie, who was a bit upset.  
  
Nick raised his good arm to his face and sighed as Rae hurried into the room.  
  
"Well, we just arrived in the house and talked to Patrick before we heard voices outside. We went to investigate. There were several men standing out in front, demanding something before they shot out the window and a piece of glass got lodged in me," explained Nick as he turned his head away.  
  
"It looks like someone's after the 'Troublesome Two' again," sighed Matt.  
  
Nick turned and stared at him.  
  
"What did you just call them?" asked the surgeon, not believing what he just heard from Matt.  
  
"The 'Troublesome Two'. We call them that here because of all the trouble they seem to get themselves into. They've been in a lot of it with their parents and those other men," explained Letty, allowing Matt to give a sigh.  
  
Nick rolled his eyes as Sarah hurried into the room as Alex and Rick stood in the doorway, the Spire in hand.  
  
"Although this time, they weren't after those two, they were after us and this thing here," Rick told them.  
  
The doctors turned to look at the newly clother travelers. Sarah did manage to find some old clothes of Patrick's. Rick still held onto the Spire although now, it was covered with cloth.  
  
"That thing? Why would they go after a snake stick?" wondered Rae.  
  
"It's because this is no ordinary stick. In my time, there's three separate occasions where the Spire was sought after. And all times, they were enemies of Ardeth and Catlanda. Maybe these men are the same way," Rick explained to them.  
  
"So when they saw it here, they went after it. That means they'll be back to get it until they have it," Matt said.  
  
"No doubt they will. We all have to be careful. For everyone here for we won't know when they'll come back and who'll they'll target," Letty agreed.  
  
"They'll target Alex and I more than you but that doesn't mean you can let your guard down so you're right," Rick said as the two walked out of the room.  
  
They started down the hall. Alex looked up at his father.  
  
"Dad, how will we get back to our own time and place again?" the young boy asked.  
  
"I don't know Alex. I just hope Evie, Ardeth and Catlanda find a way to get us back. I want to go home as much as you do," Rick replied.  
  
***  
  
Patrick looked at Nick.  
  
"So Nick, looks like youve gotten injured again. I bet you're getting tired of it all," he said.  
  
"Patrick, this isn't as bad as the other injuries that I've suffered," Nick replied.  
  
He attempted to adjust his position and hissed from the pain in his shoulder.  
  
"Only it still hurts, just like those other times," Sarah told him with a laugh.  
  
Nick rolled his eyes at the statement as he laid there in the bed. He put his head back on the pillow as the two teenagers began to laugh.  
  
"I honestly don't know how I can put up with this torment," he sighed to himself.  
  
***  
  
Ardeth watched the two women stare at the stone wall before them. Both were becoming tired as was he sat there. He put his hand up to his face, oblivious to all that was around him.  
  
He stayed that way for several minutes until he heard his name being called out in the distance.  
  
"Ardeth? Ardeth! Are you alright?" came Evie's voice.  
  
He blankly looked at her as if he didn't know her.  
  
"Something's wrong. He's never been like this, even when injured or sick," Evie said as Catlanda hurried over to them.  
  
"You're right, he doesn't look well. Maybe there's something we missed. If I had te Spire, I would be able to tell," Catlanda said with a sigh.  
  
Evie looked at her confused.  
  
"I thought you couldn't help anyone with injuries with the help of the Spire," she said.  
  
"I can't! But I can use the Spire to determine unknown and hidden injuries. I've done it before!" Catlanda replied as she knelt by the two.  
  
Ardeth glanced between them before his eyes filled with recognition.  
  
"Catlanda? Evelyn? What happened?" he asked, shaking his head a bit.  
  
"That's what we'd like to know. You seemed to be somewhere else at the moment," Evie replied.  
  
"Could you stay here with him for a few minutes? I can continue to find the incantation by myself," Catlanda asked her.  
  
Evie nodded as she sat by the Medjai leader.  
  
"I'll join you when I feel he's better," she told the female Medjai as she hurried off.  
  
Catlanda hurried back to the wall in her search.  
  
***  
  
Nick slept soundly in his bed. They were going to keep him overnight to make sure he was fit. Sarah and Patrick sat in chairs next to him.  
  
"Think they'll come back Pat?" she asked her older brother.  
  
"Probably will. No doubt about it. They're after that thing that those two have and they still have it. It looked like those men are willing to do anything to get it," Patrick replied.  
  
"I hope they get back to their own time. I really do," she said with a sigh.  
  
"So do I," Patrick said.  
  
Little did they know, Rick and Alex were standing by the door and heard the entire conversation. Alex started to open his mouth but Rick shushed him and started away from the room.  
  
"What's wrong Dad?" asked the ever curious Alex.  
  
Rick couldn't answer that.  
  
"I don't know Alex. We shouldn't be here and we should get back home but how? We wouldn't know if those three even know a way to get us back or not. I'm thinking we be prepared for the fact that...we may not be leaving this place," Rick replied as he sighed.  
  
Alex appeared shocked.  
  
"You can't mean that Dad! Surely they'll find a way to bring us home!" Alex protested.  
  
"Tell me Alex, how? We've got the only Spire in existence. No wait, maybe there's two Spires since these people might have it here in their time," Rick said to him as they sat down.  
  
Suddenly, a shouting came from Nick's room. The two hurried to see that the man from earlier was pointing a handgun at Nick and the two teens. He turned his head and snickered once he saw the father and son.  
  
"You're here after all. I was thinking you were," the man said as he glanced at Rick's hand. "And I see you have the Spire with you. Good thinking. That makes it much easier for us to take it from you."  
  
Rick shook his head.  
  
"You're not getting it from us. Not now, not ever. A friend asked me to hang onto it for bit while she went on a trip. You're going to have to take it up with her and I doubt she's going to let you have it either," Rick explained.  
  
The man nodded his head and his finger on the triggor pulled on it ever so slightly.  
  
"If you don't give it me, I'll shoot you all and take it from your dead hands," the man threatened him.  
  
TBC... 


	6. The Answers One Needs

"Alright, alright, I'll give it to you. Just don't hurt them," sighed Rick as he held out his arm.  
  
"Dad, what're you doing? You can't just give it to them!" protested Alex, pulling on his father's arm.  
  
"I have no choice Alex," he replied as the man took the Spire from his hands.  
  
The man laughed as he headed towards the door.  
  
"Thank you very much. I knew you woud see it my way," he said.  
  
He ran out the door and disappeared around the corner. Rick and Alex watched them go. Sarah and Patrick walked up behind them, their mouths open.  
  
"Why'd you do that? Now they have the Spire! I wonder what your friend will think of you now? I think she's going to be very angry at you," Patrick told him, the anger evident in his voice.  
  
"Actually, I think she'll say I was very clever. You see, that wasn't the real Spire I gave him but a fake. I wonder how long he'll realize that?" Rick replied before turning around and walking into the room.  
  
Sarah and Patrick were just as surprised as Alex as they watched him walk up to Nick.  
  
"How're you feeling?" asked Rick.  
  
"Good. Great idea. Though where's the real one?" Nick quietly asked.  
  
"With your friends. I asked them if they could keep an eye on it for a while," Rick replied.  
  
***  
  
Ardeth's head drooped as time passed on. Evie became more and more worried by the minute.  
  
"Catlanda, something's wrong," Evie called over to her.  
  
"What is it?" she asked as she hurried over to them.  
  
"I'm not sure. It seems like he's really sick," Evie replied as she held onto Ardeth's arm.  
  
Catlanda held Ardeth's face in her hands and forced him to look at her. They stared into each other's eyes. Ardeth's eyes seemed lifeless to her.  
  
"I feared this but I should have known it would happen," Catlanda said as Isis sat beside her.  
  
"What?" wondered Evie.  
  
"I remember reading here that if someone gets hurt as the time travel spell is taking place, the person will suffer greatly. The life is slowly being sucked out of him," Catlanda replied. "And there's nothing we can do until we get the Spire back in this time as well as Rick and Alex before it fully claims his life."  
  
Evie was shocked.  
  
"You can't be serious! You mean that if we don't get Rick, Alex and the Spire back here real soon, Ardeth will...simply die because of his injury?" Evie asked her.  
  
Catlanda gave a deep sigh.  
  
"That's exactly what I mean," she replied as Isis whimpered. "Come on. We have to find it before it takes his life."  
  
***  
  
Rick walked through the halls and headed for the nurse's station, where he saw Jackie and Harriet standing behind. They were quietly talking to each other before they looked over at Rick.  
  
Hey Rick, come over here for a moment please?" called Jackie, motioning with her hand.  
  
Rick walked over to them.  
  
"Yes?" he asked.  
  
What exactly is the importance of this thing that came with you two?" asked Harriet.  
  
Rick was a bit surprised by the question.  
  
"You know those friends I was talking about earlier? Ardeth and Catlanda? Well, Catlanda has been entrusted to protect that thing until the day she dies. If I lost it just because of the safety of strangers, she'd have my head," Rick explained as they handed him the Spire.  
  
The two looked at each other in amazement.  
  
"What if you can't get back? That means she'll never have your head," Harriet said with a smile.  
  
"You're right, she won't but I'd rather her have my head than having to stay here forever," Rick told them before he left the two and out the door with Patrick, Sarah and Alex.  
  
"Life has been sooo weird lately it's not even funny," Jackie told Harriet.  
  
"I am not arguing with you on that," she agreed.  
  
"First with the 'Troublesome Two' coming in, then that class trip, now this. I wonder what more things could happen?" wondered Jackie beofre they went back to what they were doing.  
  
***  
  
Ardeth was going in and out of consciousness as the two frantically searched for the answer to find a way to wherever Rick and Alex went to.  
  
Catlanda rushed up to him as Evie continued on.  
  
"Dad! Wake up! Please don't leave me now!" she cried as she firmly grasped his shoulder.  
  
His head lifted slightly and his eyes were in her direction.  
  
"Cat. What's happening to me?" he quietly asked, his head falling to one side.  
  
Catlanda put a hand on his cheek and turned his head so they looked at each other.  
  
"You've been really honest with me over the years Dad so I can't do any less for you. You're dying and you will die if we don't get the Spire returned with Rick and Alex," she explained as her usually calm voice started to get overcome with sadness.  
  
She burst out into tears and she sat down beside him. Ardeth put an arm around her and held as if she were a young child.  
  
"You will get them back. I know you will if even if it is too late for me," Ardeth whispered to her.  
  
"No, I won't let that happen. We will find it in time and you will okay alright," she whispered to him as he stroked her hair.  
  
She put an arm around him. Evie looked over at the two. She sighed at the sight. She knew they were very close and one would be devestated if something ever happened to the other.  
  
'Looks like this time, there's nothing we can do for him in time. Poor Catlanda and Ardeth. They're together, yet they're still apart,' she thought to herself as she continued to search for the inscription.  
  
She slowly moved her fingers over the hieroglyphics, mumbling the translations as she did so.  
  
"Let me see here, sand manipulation, time travel, controlling the weather, inability to aide in healing..." Evie started.  
  
She suddenly stopped and realized what she just said  
  
"Time travel?" she asked herself, going back to make sure she read what she thought she read.  
  
Indeed, there it was staring right back at her. The section of wall about time travel.  
  
"Catlanda, come here," she called over to them.  
  
Catlanda perked up, gently released herself from a now sleeping Ardeth's grasp and hurried over to her.  
  
"What is it?" she asked the Englishwoman.  
  
"There," Evie replied, pointing towards the wall.  
  
Catlanda couldn't help but smile once she saw it.  
  
"He's going to be saved," she said.  
  
TBC... 


	7. At Last! Here Comes 2003!

Catland was estatic as she read the text.  
  
"Thank you so much Evie! All I have to do now is say this aloud and I'll be able to go to wherever Rick and Alex went to and bring them back before Ardeth gets worse," she said.  
  
Evie nodded in agreement as Catlanda skimmed over the writings before her. Catlanda quickly walked away from the wall and stood in the middle of the room.  
  
She started to speak out in Ancient Egyptian. Evie watched as a light began to appear on the altar before them and a wind started to pick up around them until a portal stood before them, a figure clothed in white standing next to it.  
  
"Who goes there? Who dares disturb the Guardian of Isis?" came a female voice.  
  
"It is I, Catlanda Bay, a Medjai and keeper of the Spire of Isis," Catlanda told her as she stepped forward, her hair flying around her face.  
  
The eyes spoke volumes of knowledge as she stared at the young woman before her.  
  
"Where is the Spire now?" the guardian asked her.  
  
"That's what I'd like to know. It was lost in time with two friends of mine. I'm not sure where they went or when they are. I have to get them back or else my father will die," Catlanda explained to her.  
  
The woman sighed as she glanced over at Ardeth, still lying against a rock.  
  
"Your reason is good enough. You may pass through the portal," she told her.  
  
"Evie, I'm going to need you to stay here and watch over my father. Only I can go and find them since the Spire is my responsibility," Catlanda said to Evie.  
  
Evie nodded as she hurried over to the injured Medjai. Catlanda headed towards the portal. The woman stopped her just before she walked through the swirling vortex.  
  
"Be warned Catlanda Bay. Once you walk through, the only way to return back here is to use the Spire and you must make it in time if you want to save your father. He doesn't have much time left," the woman told her.  
  
Catlanda nodded, understanding what she must do before walking through the portal before her.  
  
***  
  
Rick watched over Alex as he slept on the couch. Rick was holding onto the Spire. He was thinking about everybody back home. Evie. Ardeth. Catlanda. Marok.  
  
"Heck, I even miss Jonathan's crazy antics and Isis jumping all over me whenever I see her. More appropriately, when she sees me," he mumbled as Alex squirmed in his lap.  
  
Sarah walked into the room after she saw them in there. She and Patrick had just come in through the front door.  
  
"How're you two doing?" she quietly asked. "Are you feeling comfortable?"  
  
Rick glanced down at Alex.  
  
"Yeah, we are, thanks. Go back to bed. We'll be fine. How's Nick doing?" he replied.  
  
"He'll be fine. He's staying the night and coming home in the morning," Patrick told them.  
  
Sarah nodded in agreement before the two headed towards their bedrooms..  
  
***  
  
Nick slept soundly as Rae watched over him.  
  
'When he wakes up, he's going to think this one weird dream,' she thought to herself before she left the room.  
  
As soon as she walked out of the room, a bright light filled the level. Everyone had to shield their eyes as it grew brighter.  
  
As it died down, Rae took away her arm to see a young woman, fully dressed in black and frantically looking around the place.  
  
"Excuse me but are you looking for someone?" she asked the stranger.  
  
Catlanda turned and looked at the doctor with curious eyes before hurrying down the hallway. Rae quickly followed her.  
  
"I'm sorry, but you'll have to come with me for the time being. After all, you just showed up out of nowhere. Do you expect us to let you run around the place?" Rae called to her.  
  
Catlanda stopped and stared at her.  
  
"Do you even understand me?" wondered Rae as she suddenly stopped herself.  
  
"Alright but I will require your help. I am searching for two people. A man and a child. They came with...a stick," she replied, sighing and rolling her eyes at the last two words.  
  
Rae couldn't believe what she was hearing. Someone really was looking for them!  
  
"Come with me, immediately. We have to talk," Rae told her, grabbing her arm and dragging the Medjai to her office.  
  
***  
  
The telephone rang in the Kokoris household. Rick had fallen asleep on the couch and was awoken by the ringing. He rubbed his eyes as Patrick came out of his room and picked up the receiver.  
  
"Hello?" he asked in a tired voice.  
  
"Patrick? We need Rick and Alex here immediately. There's someone here who needs to see them," came Rae's voice.  
  
"Rae. Who's so important that they need to see them now?" Patrick told her as Sarah walked out of her room.  
  
"Patrick, who is it?" she whined.  
  
"Alright, we're on our way," Patrick told Rae before hanging up the phone.  
  
He looked at the three tired and confused faces before him.  
  
"Get dressed, we have to go back to the hospital," Patrick told them as he hurried back to his room.  
  
"At this hour in the night? They have to be kidding!" Sarah said as she dragged herself to her room.  
  
***  
  
Patrick and Sarah led the way into the front door as Rick followed behind them, Alex still asleep in his arms. He awkwardly held the Spire in one hand.  
  
They walked a bit further as Rae headed towards them.  
  
"What is going on here? I've got school tomorrow," Sarah asked her.  
  
"Come this way, now. Someone came here earlier, looking for Rick and Alex. She sounded desperate as she was talking. Right now, she's in my office, still in shock after the tour we gave her," Rae explained.  
  
"Why is that?" wondered Rick.  
  
"She found Nick and reacted the same you two did only worse," Rae replied.  
  
She led them into her office where Rick gasped to see it was Catlanda.  
  
"Catty?" he asked, still not believing what he was seeing.  
  
She turned around to see it was Rick, Alex still asleep in his arms.  
  
"Rick! Give me the Spire! We need to go back right now!" she told him, holding out her arm.  
  
He looked at the Spire in his hand and gave it to her.  
  
"Why do we need to go back so quickly?" he wondered.  
  
"I wouldn't have to do this so quickly but we have to. Dad's dying," she replied as they walked out of the room.  
  
Rick looked at the others before hurrying out after her.  
  
"Ardeth's dying? How can that be? He was fine before we left," Rick told her.  
  
"He received an injury during the collapse of the tunnel, as the time travel spell was taking place. I'll explain more once we get back home," she replied as she lifted up the Spire and stopping.  
  
Rick stopped behind her.  
  
"Stop right there!" came an angry voice.  
  
They looked to see the man from earlier, pointing a gun at them.  
  
"So you thought you could fool me with a fake Spire? Well, I'm leaving with it this time, one way or another," the man said.  
  
Catlanda was not surprised.  
  
"Why is thing always sought after? I don't think I'll ever know why or understand completely," she asked herself as Nick walked out of his room.  
  
He yawned but he instantly woke up once he saw the gun being aimed at the strangers. He stared at Catlanda and narrowed her eyes.  
  
'When did she get here? Who is she for that matter?' he asked himself as he pue a hand up his face.  
  
The man slowly walked closer to the small group.  
  
"Now give it to me now or else that guy dies," he threatened, suddenly pointing the gun at Nick.  
  
TBC... 


	8. Trouble Getting Back to 1937

"Put the gun down," Rick told the man.  
  
"Not until I get the Spire. Now give it to me!" he demanded, looking between them.  
  
Catlanda sighed as she stepped forward. She gazed at the Spire, before holding it out to him.  
  
"Here you go. There it is. The Spire of Isis," Catlanda sighed as the man reached for it.  
  
He took it and menacingly laughed as he stared at it.  
  
"Why thank you. I know this time that this is the real thing," he snickered before backing away from them.  
  
He turned to run away. They all gave a sigh of relief but it was all said too soon as the man twirled back around and shot Nick. Everybody gasped. They were all shocked as he slumped against the wall. Sarah ran over to him.  
  
"I never said I wasn't going to shoot him," the man told them, laughter on his voice.  
  
***  
  
Evie put a hand to Ardeth's forehead.  
  
"You keep getting warmer and warmer. Not only that, you keep fading. I wish they'd come back real soon," Evie said to herself. "I don't think you're going to make it."  
  
"Evelyn," came a quiet voice.  
  
She looked at Ardeth, his eyes slightly open.  
  
"She'll be here in time tp help me. I have faith in her. I always have and I always will," he quietly told her.  
  
He turned his head away from her. She noticed his heavy breathing as he laid there. She gave a heavy sigh before staring back up at the altar.  
  
"You have to make it Catlanda," she whispered.  
  
***  
  
Rae hurried up to Nick and Sarah only to see that he was hit near the thigh. The surgeon groaned in pain.  
  
"We better get him away from here before he gets worse," Rae told the two.  
  
Catlanda stepped before the man.  
  
"You will so pay for that," she snarled at him.  
  
"But you can't. The Spire is now in my possession. That means it's now under my control. I read it in that book! I can do this now!" he cried, starting to run away from them.  
  
"Really? Let's see you do this with it then. Spire, stop!" she ordered.  
  
The Spire's eyes glowed and it stopped in midair. The man was unable to stop his momentum so he ran right past it, his grip coming free of the Spire. He was very confused.  
  
"What happened? It's not supposed to listen to you anymore," he demanded, arms out.  
  
"It's not as simple as you made it seem. I'd stay and explain it to you but we don't have time," Catlanda told him as she walked up to the Spire and grabbed it. "Spire, bind him."  
  
Rope appeared around the man. It tied itself around him tightly as he watched in awe.  
  
"Amazing! Are you from a different place or something?" he asked.  
  
"Yes, actually, I am," she replied as she hurried over to Rick and Alex.  
  
"We have to go, right? Ardeth needs our help," Rick told her.  
  
She nodded and raised the Spire into the air.  
  
"Wait a minute!" called Rae, reaching out for them.  
  
The two turned towards her with both curiousity and urgency in their eyes.  
  
"What?" wondered Rick.  
  
"Since that thing can obviously do many things, do you think it can help Nick with this injury or even anyone else here in this hospital?" she asked.  
  
"No, it can't. It is able to perform many tasks but aiding in healing is not one of them. It's against everything the Spire stands for," Catlanda explained, shaking her head. "Now we must go. My father is in grave danger."  
  
She spoke in Arabic before speaking again in English.  
  
"Spire of Isis, take us back to the year 1937 to the Temple of Isis in Egypt!" she cried, a bright light emanating from the eyes.  
  
"Your wish is my command," the Spire told her.  
  
The light engulfed the three. Rae, Sarah and Patrick stared at the spot where the two were just standing.  
  
"Now that's going to be some story to tell to our grandchildren," Patrick said, his eyebrows raised.  
  
"Patrick, do you think anyone's going to believe us if we say those two were from the past and they travled here from 1937 Egypt all because of a magical stick?" Sarah asked him, rolling her eyes at him.  
  
"Good point. Right now, I think we should concentrate on helping Dad," replied Patrick as they helped prepare him to get the bone examined.  
  
***  
  
Ardeth's brow was brimming with sweat. His eyes were closed and he was mumbling. Evelyn watched helplessly as she watched him grow worse as each minute passed.  
  
"Ardeth, she's not going to make it in time, no matter how much you may believe it," she told him quietly. "You keep getting worse and there's nothing we can do to stop it. If only I hadn't persuaded to go to that temple, it wouldn't have collapsed on us. Rick and Alex would be here and you wouldn't be here dying."  
  
She wiped off some of the sweat off of his forehead as a tear fell from her eye.  
  
"It's all my fault," she barely said.  
  
She put a hand up over her mouth as the tears flowed a bit more freely down her face. But all that stopped once a bright light filled the room. Evie covered her eyes from the blinding light.  
  
When it dimmed, she saw two figures. She smiled once she saw it was Rick and Catlanda and he was holding Alex in his arms.  
  
"Rick!" she cried, running up to him.  
  
They hugged and kissed each other as Catlanda hurried up to Ardeth. She held onto his shoulder.  
  
"Ardeth, wake up please. You've just got to wake up. The Spire and O'Connells are back," she told him as the tears welled up in her eyes.  
  
"Catlanda..." he quietly said.  
  
He grasped the hand on his shoulder and they stared into each other eyes.  
  
"Catlanda, you usually know what to do when it comes to the Spire. Do you know what to do now?" he asked her.  
  
The tears falling down her face, she shook her head. She watched him take her hand to his face and take a breath.  
  
"I don't know what to say. I want to remember the smile that always shone when it was on your pretty face," he quietly told her as she gave a smile through the tears.  
  
It was then that she realized something.  
  
"I don't have to heal his physical wounds to keep him from dying," she gasped as she looked at the Spire. "Spire, can you stop the spell that's taking away Ardeth's life since everything in time is as it should be?" she asked.  
  
"Yes, I can," the Spire replied, allowing an even bigger smile to grow on Catlanda's face.  
  
TBC... 


	9. The Breath of Life

"Then do it. Spire, stop the spell!" she ordered it.  
  
Light shone from its eyes and surrounded Ardeth, who had become very still. The O'Connells had to shade their eyes from the blinding light although Catlanda seemed to be unaffected by it.  
  
When the light stopped the two O'Connells looked at the two Medjai. She was hysterical as she shook Ardeth's shoulders.  
  
"Catty, what's wrong?" Rick asked as he hurried up to them.  
  
"He's not breathing. I don't know what happened. It was supposed to make him better, not make him worse!" she cried out.  
  
Evie knelt by them to see that Catlanda was correct. Ardeth wasn't breathing. The female Medjai was beginning to panic. Rick placed Alex nearby on the ground before hurrying over to them.  
  
"Evie, could you get Catty away?" he asked his wife.  
  
She nodded before heading over to the stricken Medjai and slowly led her away from Ardeth. She was very reluctant to go with the Englishwoman as Rick checked to see if Ardeth still had a pulse only to barely find one.  
  
"Oh my God Ardeth. Why does it have to be like this?" he asked himself.  
  
"Evelyn, let me go back to him. He needs me more than ever," pleaded Catlanda as she and Evie stood several feet away from the two.  
  
Before Evie could answer, Catlanda broke from her grip and ran back to Ardeth and Rick. He was a bit surprised by this.  
  
"What are you doing here?" he asked.  
  
"Helping Ardeth, what does it look like?" she angrily replied.  
  
Rick was shocked at this reaction. He had never seen her act like this before. Although, there was never a time that Ardeth wasn't breathing so he understood why it scared her.  
  
"Why don't you ask the Spire how to help him?" he asked her, trying to sound funny.  
  
"This is no time to joke Rick. You and I both know the Spire can't help him," Evie told him, putting her hands on her hips.  
  
Catlanda thought about the statement that Rick said.  
  
"No, it can't help him but it can tell me how to do it. Spire, how can I help Ardeth?" she asked.  
  
The eyes glowed for a moment.  
  
"The spell has disappeared; therefore he is free of any magical forces. What your father needs now is the breath of life. It the result of the spell occuring while he received his injury. He has to have it now or he will die. But only you can give it to him for it is you that possesses the Spire," the Spire replied.  
  
***  
  
Nick looked up at the ceiling.  
  
"I can't walk again because of a broken leg. How wonderful," he unenthusiastically told himself,  
  
Then his stare went to Sarah, who was asleep by the bed. He smiled as Rae walked into the room.  
  
"How're you feeling?" she asked as Matt walked into the room behind her.  
  
"Wonderful. I've got some story to tell you though. We met up with two people from 1937 and the next thing I know, I'm getting shot at in my own home. I come here and I get shot again before watching a light show occur in the hallway," he told them with a smile upon his face.  
  
Rae rolled her eyes at him.  
  
"There's I times where I don't know about you Nick," she told him as he gave a small laugh.  
  
"We just received a call from the police. They captured the group who shot at you. Apparently, they're treasure hunters and they search just for priceless artifacts like this Spire that those two had. If I'm not mistaken, it stills exists today. Looks like they made it back safely and it wasn't taken over the years," Matt explained.  
  
Nick glanced at him and smiled.  
  
"I'm just glad we won't be seeing them again," Nick replied before closing his eyes.  
  
"I doubt we will Nick. Today, Rick's probably dead, Alex is an old man. The woman that was here is probably the same," Rae told him. "Not only that, they probably wouldn't come back anyway."  
  
"Now get some sleep. You need it," Matt told him before walking out of the room.  
  
Rae smiled at Nick before walking out herself. The surgeon watched them go before returning his stare back to the ceiling. He placed his hand on his face.  
  
"There are times where I wonder about this life that I live," he told himself. "But I wouldn't trade it for the world."  
  
After he said that he looked over at the door to see a smiling Patrick.  
  
***  
  
Catlanda was surprised at this as she looked at her father. With help from Rick, they laid Ardeth on his back. Rick looked at her.  
  
"Nervous?" he asked her.  
  
She nodded as she placed her hands on his cheeks and bent down. She stopped just above his head before placing her lips over his mouth and breathed into him. She could feel the life returning to Ardeth as she was doing so and soon broke the contact between them. Ardeth was now coughing and moving about.  
  
"Now that's a good sign," Evie said as she knelt beside them and Catlanda out a hand up to her lips.  
  
"Ardeth! Can you hear me?" Rick asked him, putting a hand on his shoulder.  
  
Ardeth turned towards the voice.  
  
"O'Connell?" the Medjai softly questioned. "Is that you? I must be dreaming."  
  
"No, you're not. Both Alex and I here where we're supposed to be along with the Spire," Rick told him. "We almost lost you there. It's good to have you back."  
  
Ardeth looked at Catlanda, who still had her hand up to her mouth.  
  
"What's wrong?" he quietly asked, reaching up to her.  
  
"I'll tell you later Father. Right now, I just want you to get better," she replied. "We'll wait a bit before heading back to camp."  
  
Ardeth nodded as he dozed off to sleep.  
  
"I think we should do the same thing. I'm exhausted," agreed Evie.  
  
The two nodded in agreement before Evie and Rick laid down beside Alex, who hadn't awoken the entire time and Catlanda was snuggled in beside Ardeth. She put an arm over him as she looked at his sleeping form.  
  
'I'm glad you're safe again, my dear father,' she told herself before falling asleep beside him.  
  
The End.  
  
Author's Note-Oh my. The reviews. I'm shocked. (But I'm happy, believe me.) All I can really say is thank you to all who did so. (sniff). They really mean a lot to me. 


End file.
